Systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using cloud-aware kernel of operating system

ABSTRACT

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware kernel of operating system. A guest operating system can be hosted in a cloud-based network which to support a set of virtual machines operating in that set of host clouds. The guest operating system can be configured with resources in the kernel to detect and manage the identity of the cloud in which the operating system is installed, as well as the duration of operation of the operating system and potentially, usage and other details of the set of virtual machines and their associated guest operating systems. Because the cloud identification and other data capture occurs directly in a cloud-aware kernel of the guest operating system, security and responsiveness are enhanced. The resulting set of kernel hosting data can be securely exported to a metering system or other platform for billing or other purposes.

FIELD

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware kernel of operating system, and more particularly, to platforms and techniques for a cloud-aware kernel of an operating system that can be installed in one or more host clouds to operate virtual machines and other entities, and which kernel can automatically detect the identity and type of cloud in which it is installed, as well as the duration of its operation in the host cloud or clouds.

BACKGROUND

The advent of cloud-based computing architectures has opened new possibilities for the rapid and scalable deployment of virtual Web stores, media outlets, social networking sites, and many other on-line sites or services. In general, a cloud-based architecture deploys a set of hosted resources such as processors, operating systems, software and other components that can be combined together to form virtual machines. A user or customer can request the instantiation of a virtual machine or set of machines from those resources from a central server or cloud management system to perform intended tasks, services, or applications. For example, a user may wish to set up and instantiate a virtual server from the cloud to create a storefront to market products or services on a temporary basis, for instance, to sell tickets to or merchandise for an upcoming sports or musical performance. The user can subscribe to the set of resources needed to build and run the set of instantiated virtual machines on a comparatively short-term basis, such as hours or days, for their intended application.

Typically, when a user utilizes a cloud, the user must track the software applications executed in the cloud and/or processes instantiated in the cloud. For example, the user must track the cloud processes to ensure that the correct cloud processes have been instantiated, that the cloud processes are functioning properly and/or efficiently, that the cloud is providing sufficient resources to the cloud processes, and so forth. Due in part to the user's requirements and overall usage of the cloud, the user may have many applications and/or processes instantiated in a cloud at any given instant, and the user's deployment of virtual machines, software, and other resources can change dynamically over time. In cases, the user may also utilize multiple independent host clouds to support the user's cloud deployment. That user may further instantiate and use multiple applications or other software or services inside or across multiple of those cloud boundaries, and those resources may be used or consumed by multiple or differing end-user groups in those different cloud networks.

In terms of the installation of a guest operating system in a host cloud or clouds, based upon which operating system layer guest operating systems for virtual machines can be instantiated, in known cloud management platforms and operating systems, the operating system itself is not configured to detect the host cloud in which it is installed, nor to maintain a record of how long the operating system has been operating. Due to the lack of operating system self-awareness, administrators wishing to configure the operating system for particular cloud resources or conditions, or to track the operation of the guest operating system over time for billing or other purposes, may need to resort to installing third-party services or tools on top of the guest operating system, or on the host operating system or hypervisor, in order to acquire similar information. Third-party tools or services may, however, present security risks to sensitive operating system or usage information, and because they may operate above the kernel, may be able to be switched off by users or others without the knowledge of the administrator.

It may be desirable to provide systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware operating system kernel, in which a guest operating system for a cloud-based implementation can be configured with a kernel that has a native cloud-awareness capability to identify the host cloud in which it is installed or operates, as well as to track the duration of operation of the operating system or any child process, and/or to capture other data directly in the kernel itself. This information can in turn be made available either directly to a “user” of the operating system, which could include third party services or agents, but which could also be broadcast for remote consumption by other cloud management systems.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an overall cloud system architecture in which various aspects of systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware kernel of operating system can be implemented, according to embodiments;

FIG. 2 illustrates an overall cloud system architecture in which various aspects of systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware kernel of operating system can be implemented, in further regards;

FIG. 3 illustrates a network configuration in which systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware kernel of operating system can be implemented, including kernel-based cloud awareness capabilities;

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary hardware configuration for a cloud management system and/or other hardware that can support and maintain one or more cloud-based networks, according to various embodiments; and

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart for the analysis and processing of cloud-related information capture at the kernel level of a cloud-based operating system, according to various embodiments

DESCRIPTION

Embodiments described herein can be implemented in or supported by a cloud network architecture. As used herein, a “cloud” can comprise a collection of hardware, software, services, and/or resources that can be invoked to instantiate a virtual machine, process, or other resource for a limited or defined duration. As shown for example in FIG. 1, the collection of resources supporting a cloud 102 can at a hardware level comprise a set of resource servers 108 configured to deliver computing components needed to instantiate a virtual machine, process, service, or other resource. For example, one group of resource servers in set of resource servers 108 can host and serve an operating system, and/or components, utilities, or interfaces related to that operating system, to deliver to a virtual target, and instantiate that machine with an image of that operating system. Another group of servers in set of resource servers 108 can accept requests to host computing cycles or processor time, memory allocations, communications ports or links, and/or other resources to supply a defined level of processing power or throughput for a virtual machine. A further group of resource servers in set of resource servers 108 can host and serve applications or other software to load on an instantiation of a virtual machine, such as an email client, a browser application, a messaging application, or other applications, software, or services. Other types of resource servers can be used to support one or more clouds 102.

In embodiments, the entire set of resource servers 108 and/or other hardware or software resources used to support one or more clouds 102, along with the set of instantiated virtual machines, can be managed by a cloud management system 104. The cloud management system 104 can comprise a dedicated or centralized server and/or other software, hardware, services, and network tools that communicate via network 106, such as the Internet or other public or private network, with all servers in set of resource servers 108 to manage the cloud 102 and its operation. To instantiate a new or updated set of virtual machines, a user can transmit an instantiation request to the cloud management system 104 for the particular type of virtual machine they wish to invoke for their intended application. A user can for instance make a request to instantiate a set of virtual machines configured for email, messaging or other applications from the cloud 102. The virtual machines can be instantiated as virtual client machines, virtual appliance machines consisting of special-purpose or dedicated-task machines as understood in the art, and/or as other virtual machines or entities. The request to invoke and instantiate the desired complement of virtual machines can be received and processed by the cloud management system 104, which identifies the type of virtual machine, process, or other resource being requested in that platform's associated cloud. The cloud management system 104 can then identify the collection of hardware, software, service, and/or other resources necessary to instantiate that complement of virtual machines or other resources. In embodiments, the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources can, for example, and as noted, comprise virtual transaction servers used to support Web storefronts, Web pages, and/or other transaction sites.

In embodiments, the user's instantiation request can specify a variety of parameters defining the operation of the set of virtual machines to be invoked. The instantiation request, for example, can specify a defined period of time for which the instantiated collection of machines, services, or processes is needed. The period of time can be, for example, an hour, a day, a month, or other interval of time. In embodiments, the user's instantiation request can specify the instantiation of a set of virtual machines or processes on a task basis, rather than for a predetermined amount or interval of time. For instance, a user could request a set of virtual provisioning servers and other resources until a target software update is completed on a population of corporate or other machines. The user's instantiation request can in further regards specify other parameters that define the configuration and operation of the set of virtual machines or other instantiated resources. For example, the request can specify a specific minimum or maximum amount of processing power or input/output (I/O) throughput that the user wishes to be available to each instance of the virtual machine or other resource. In embodiments, the requesting user can for instance specify a service level agreement (SLA) acceptable for their desired set of applications or services. Other parameters and settings can be used to instantiate and operate a set of virtual machines, software, and other resources in the host clouds. One skilled in the art will realize that the user's request can likewise include combinations of the foregoing exemplary parameters, and others. It may be noted that “user” herein can include a network-level user or subscriber to cloud-based networks, such as a corporation, government entity, educational institution, and/or other entity, including individual users and groups of users.

When the request to instantiate a set of virtual machines or other resources has been received and the necessary resources to build those machines or resources have been identified, the cloud management system 104 can communicate with one or more set of resource servers 108 to locate resources to supply the required components. Generally, the cloud management system 104 can select servers from the diverse set of resource servers 108 to assemble the various components needed to build the requested set of virtual machines, services, or other resources. It may be noted that in some embodiments, permanent storage, such as optical storage or hard disk arrays, may or may not be included or located within the set of resource servers 108 available to the cloud management system 104, since the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources may be intended to operate on a purely transient or temporary basis. In embodiments, other hardware, software or other resources not strictly located or hosted in one or more clouds 102 can be accessed and leveraged as needed. For example, other software or services that are provided outside of one or more clouds 102 acting as hosts, and are instead hosted by third parties outside the boundaries of those clouds, can be invoked by in-cloud virtual machines or users. For further example, other non-cloud hardware and/or storage services can be utilized as an extension to the one or more clouds 102 acting as hosts or native clouds, for instance, on an on-demand, subscribed, or event-triggered basis.

With the resource requirements identified for building a network of virtual machines, the cloud management system 104 can extract and build the set of virtual machines or other resources on a dynamic, on-demand basis. For example, one set of resource servers 108 may respond to an instantiation request for a given quantity of processor cycles with an offer to deliver that computational power immediately and guaranteed for the next hour or day. A further set of resource servers 108 can offer to immediately supply communication bandwidth, for example on a guaranteed minimum or best-efforts basis, for instance over a defined window of time. In other embodiments, the set of virtual machines or other resources can be built on a batch basis, or at a particular future time. For example, a set of resource servers 108 may respond to a request for instantiation of virtual machines at a programmed time with an offer to deliver the specified quantity of processor cycles within a specific amount of time, such as the next 12 hours. Other timing and resource configurations are possible.

After interrogating and receiving resource commitments from the set of resource servers 108, the cloud management system 104 can select a group of servers in the set of resource servers 108 that match or best match the instantiation request for each component needed to build the user's requested virtual machine, service, or other resource. The cloud management system 104 for the one or more clouds 102 acting as the destination for the virtual machines can then coordinate the integration of the identified group of servers from the set of resource servers 108, to build and launch the requested set of virtual machines or other resources. The cloud management system 104 can track the identified group of servers selected from the set of resource servers 108, or other distributed resources that are dynamically or temporarily combined, to produce and manage the requested virtual machine population, services, or other cloud-based resources.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 can generate a resource aggregation table or other record that identifies the various selected sets of resource servers in set of resource servers 108 that will be used to supply the components of the set of instantiated virtual machines, services, or processes. The selected sets of resource servers can be identified by unique identifiers such as, for instance, Internet protocol (IP) addresses or other addresses. In aspects, different sets of servers in set of resource servers 108 can be selected to deliver different resources to different users and/or for different applications. The cloud management system 104 can register the finalized group of servers in the set resource servers 108 contributing to or otherwise supporting the set of instantiated machines, services, or processes.

The cloud management system 104 can then set up and launch the initiation process to instantiate the virtual machines, processes, services, and/or other resources to be hosted and delivered from the one or more clouds 102. The cloud management system 104 can for instance transmit an instantiation command or instruction to the registered group of servers in the set of resource servers 108. The cloud management system 104 can receive a confirmation message back from each registered server in set of resource servers 108 indicating a status or state regarding the provisioning of their respective resources. Various registered resource servers may confirm, for example, the availability of a dedicated amount of processor cycles, amounts of electronic memory, communications bandwidth, services, and/or applications or other software prepared to be served and delivered.

As shown for example in FIG. 2, after coordination of the sources and configuration of resources including the hardware layer, selected software, and/or other resources, the cloud management system 104 can then instantiate a set of virtual machines 116, and/or other appliances, services, processes, and/or entities, based on the resources supplied by servers within set of resource servers 108 registered to support the one or more clouds 102 in a multiple-cloud network 110. According to aspects, cloud management system 104 can access or interact with a virtualization module, platform, or service to instantiate and operate set of virtual machines 116, such as the kernel-based virtualization manager (KVM™) available from Red Hat, Inc. of Raleigh, N.C., or others. In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 can instantiate a given number, for example, 10, 500, 1000, 20,000, or other numbers or instances of virtual machines to populate one or more clouds 102 and be made available to users of that cloud or clouds. In aspects, users may access the one or more clouds 102 via the Internet, or other public or private networks. Each virtual machine can be assigned an instantiated machine ID that can be stored in the resource aggregation table, or other record or image of the instantiated virtual machine population. Additionally, the cloud management system 104 can store data related to the duration of the existence or operation of each operating virtual machine, as well as the collection of resources utilized by the overall set of instantiated virtual machines 116.

In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 can further store, track and manage each user's identity and associated set of rights or entitlements to software, hardware, and other resources. Each user that operates a virtual machine or service in the set of virtual machines in the cloud can have specific rights and resources assigned and made available to them, with associated access rights and security provisions. The cloud management system 104 can track and configure specific actions that each user can perform, such as the ability to provision a set of virtual machines with software applications or other resources, configure a set of virtual machines to desired specifications, submit jobs to the set of virtual machines or other host, manage other users of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 or other resources, and/or other privileges, entitlements, or actions. The cloud management system 104 associated with the virtual machine(s) of each user can further generate records of the usage of instantiated virtual machines to permit tracking, billing, and auditing of the resources and services consumed by the user or set of users. In aspects of the present teachings, the tracking of usage activity for one or more user (including network level user and/or end-user) can be abstracted from any one cloud to which that user is registered, and made available from an external or independent usage tracking service capable of tracking software and other usage across an arbitrary collection of clouds, as described herein. In embodiments, the cloud management system 104 of an associated cloud can for example meter the usage and/or duration of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116, to generate subscription and/or billing records for a user that has launched those machines. In aspects, tracking records can in addition or instead be generated by an internal service operating within a given cloud. Other subscription, billing, entitlement and/or value arrangements are possible.

The cloud management system 104 can configure each virtual machine in set of instantiated virtual machines 116 to be made available to users via one or more networks 116, such as the Internet or other public or private networks. Those users can for instance access set of instantiated virtual machines via a browser interface, via an application server such as a Java™ server, via an application programming interface (API), and/or other interface or mechanism. Each instantiated virtual machine in set of instantiated virtual machines 116 can likewise communicate with its associated cloud management system 104 and the registered servers in set of resource servers 108 via a standard Web application programming interface (API), or via other calls, protocols, and/or interfaces. The set of instantiated virtual machines 116 can likewise communicate with each other, as well as other sites, servers, locations, and resources available via the Internet or other public or private networks, whether within a given cloud in one or more clouds 102, or between those or other clouds.

It may be noted that while a browser interface or other front-end can be used to view and operate the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 from a client or terminal, the processing, memory, communications, storage, and other hardware as well as software resources required to be combined to build the virtual machines or other resources are all hosted remotely in the one or more clouds 102. In embodiments, the set of virtual machines 116 or other services, machines, or resources may not depend in any degree on or require the user's own on-premise hardware or other resources. In embodiments, a user can therefore request and instantiate a set of virtual machines or other resources on a purely off-premise basis, for instance to build and launch a virtual storefront, messaging site, and/or any other application. Likewise, one or more clouds 102 can also be formed in whole or part from resources hosted or maintained by the users of those clouds, themselves.

Because the cloud management system 104 in one regard specifies, builds, operates and manages the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 on a logical or virtual level, the user can request and receive different sets of virtual machines and other resources on a real-time or near real-time basis, without a need to specify, install, or configure any particular hardware. The user's set of instantiated virtual machines 116, processes, services, and/or other resources can in one regard therefore be scaled up or down immediately or virtually immediately on an on-demand basis, if desired. In embodiments, the set of resource servers 108 that are accessed by the cloud management system 104 to support the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 or processes can change or be substituted, over time. The type and operating characteristics of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 can nevertheless remain constant or virtually constant, since instances are assembled from a collection of abstracted resources that can be selected and maintained from diverse sources based on uniform specifications. Conversely, the users of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 can also change or update the resource or operational specifications of those machines at any time. The cloud management system 104 and/or other logic can then adapt the allocated resources for that population of virtual machines or other entities, on a dynamic basis.

In terms of network management of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 that have been successfully configured and instantiated, the one or more cloud management systems 104 associated with those machines can perform various network management tasks including security, maintenance, and metering for billing or subscription purposes. The cloud management system 104 of one or more clouds 102 can, for example, install, initiate, suspend, or terminate instances of applications or appliances on individual machines. The cloud management system 104 can similarly monitor one or more operating virtual machines to detect any virus or other rogue process on individual machines, and for instance terminate an application identified as infected, or a virtual machine detected to have entered a fault state. The cloud management system 104 can likewise manage the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 or other resources on a network-wide or other collective basis, for instance, to push the delivery a software upgrade to all active virtual machines or subsets of machines. Other network management processes can be carried out by cloud management system 104 and/or other associated logic.

In embodiments, more than one set of virtual machines can be instantiated in a given cloud at the same time, at overlapping times, and/or at successive times or intervals.

The cloud management system 104 can, in such implementations, build, launch and manage multiple sets of virtual machines as part of the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 based on the same or different underlying set of resource servers 108, with populations of different virtual machines such as may be requested by the same or different users. The cloud management system 104 can institute and enforce security protocols in one or more clouds 102 hosting one or more sets of virtual machines. Each of the individual sets or subsets of virtual machines in the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 can be hosted in a respective partition or sub-cloud of the resources of the main cloud 102. The cloud management system 104 of one or more clouds 102 can for example deploy services specific to isolated or defined sub-clouds, or isolate individual workloads/processes within the cloud to a specific sub-cloud or other sub-domain or partition of the one or more clouds 102 acting as host. The subdivision of one or more clouds 102 into distinct transient sub-clouds, sub-components, or other subsets which have assured security and isolation features can assist in establishing a multiple user or multi-tenant cloud arrangement. In a multiple-user scenario, each of the multiple users can use the cloud platform as a common utility while retaining the assurance that their information is secure from other users of the same one or more clouds 102. In further embodiments, sub-clouds can nevertheless be configured to share resources, if desired.

In embodiments, and as also shown in FIG. 2, the set of instantiated virtual machines 116 generated in a first cloud in one or more clouds 102 can also interact with a set of instantiated virtual machines, services, and/or processes generated in a second, third or further cloud in one or more clouds 102, comprising a multiple-cloud network 110. The cloud management system 104 of a first cloud of one or more clouds 102 can interface with the cloud management system 104 of a second, third, or further cloud of one or more clouds 102 to coordinate those domains and operate the clouds and/or virtual machines, services, and/or processes on a combined basis. The cloud management system 104 of a given cloud on one or more clouds 102 can in aspects track and manage individual virtual machines or other resources instantiated in that cloud, as well as the set of instantiated virtual machines or other resources in other clouds.

In the foregoing and other embodiments, the user making an instantiation request or otherwise accessing or utilizing the cloud network can be a person, customer, subscriber, administrator, corporation, organization, government, and/or other entity. In embodiments, the user can be or include another virtual machine, application, service and/or process. In further embodiments, multiple users or entities can share the use of a set of virtual machines or other resources.

Aspects of the present teachings relate to platforms and techniques in which the kernel of a guest operating system installed and operating in a host cloud-based network can be equipped or configured with a set of cloud-awareness resources or capabilities. The cloud-aware operating system kernel can be configured to contain capabilities and/or services to be able to detect and identify the identity, type, or other information of the cloud in which the guest operating system is installed, directly at the kernel level and without a need to invoke third-party applications or services located outside of the kernel. The guest operating system can thereby establish the identity of the cloud in which it is installed, and for instance automatically configure or adjust operating parameters, services, application programming interfaces, and/or other resources to match the cloud host environment in which it finds itself located. In aspects, the kernel and associated tools can track the duration or length of time that the guest operating system has been operating in the identified cloud, to export that information to external consumers such as third-party billing or metering applications, or others.

Consistent with the foregoing, in general, FIG. 3 shows an illustrative network configuration in which systems and methods for tracking cloud installation information using a cloud-aware operating system kernel can be implemented, according to various embodiments. In embodiments as shown, one or more users can operate a set of virtual machines 228 in a set of host clouds 142, for instance, by subscribing to resources in the set of host clouds 142 to support, provide, and/or execute the set of virtual machines 228 according to service level agreements (SLAs) and/or other terms or arrangements. In aspects, each virtual machine in the set of virtual machines 228 can have a set of applications 240 installed or instantiated in that machine, such as browsing, messaging, word processing, spreadsheet, and/or other applications or application types. According to aspects, each virtual machine in the set of virtual machines 228 can operate using an instance of a guest operating system 272 assigned to or supporting that machine in the associated cloud-based network in the set of host clouds 142. Each host cloud in the set of host clouds 142 can be supported, hosted, and/or executed in or by a cloud management system 104 associated with the set of host clouds 142. In aspects, the guest operating system 272 instantiated in one or more clouds in the set of host clouds can be or include, for instance, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux™ operating system available from Red Hat, Inc., Raleigh, N.C., or other operating systems or platforms. In aspects, the each instance of the guest operating system 272 can serve or function to support the operation of an associated virtual machine set of virtual machines 228 operating in the set of host clouds 142.

In aspects as shown, the kernel 270 of the guest operating system 272 can be configured or equipped with a set of services or resources including a set of kernel services 232 to support task scheduling, file support, and other operating system services for an associated virtual machine and/or other entities, as well as a cloud awareness engine 260 configured to perform discovery and tracking operations in the cloud environment in which the guest operating system 272 is installed. The cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can be configured to build, access, update, and/or maintain a kernel hosting record 262 to directly capture and store information related to the location, duration, operation, and/or other details related to the use and activity of guest operating system 272 in one or more host clouds in the set of host clouds 142. The kernel hosting record 262 can be configured to store a set of kernel hosting data 264, including for instance cloud location information, operating system duration information reflecting the period or length of time over which the guest operating system 272 and/or associated virtual machines or applications have been executing and/or in use, public cloud registration information, private cloud registration information, and/or other data related to the operation of guest operating system 272 in the set of host clouds 142 or otherwise. In aspects as shown, the cloud awareness engine 260 can be integrated, hosted, and/or embedded directly in the kernel 270 of the guest operating system 272 itself, without a requirement for additional layers of software to perform cloud identification and operating system management tasks.

In terms of identifying the actual cloud or clouds in the set of host clouds 142 in which the guest operating system 272 is installed or operates, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can be configured to communicate with one or more clouds in the set of host clouds 142 to interrogate those clouds for a respective cloud identifier 266. The cloud identifier 266 can be an identifier or code stored in or associated with each cloud in the set of host clouds 142 and/or other clouds, to identify the vendor, type, software compatibilities, subscription terms, resource capacities, and/or other data related to the cloud network environment supplied or offered by each cloud. In aspects, the cloud identifier 266 can represent a unique identifier or code assigned to all public clouds or other types of clouds, for instance, through a public registry maintained by one or more cloud vendors and/or other organizations. According to aspects, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can request, interrogate, access, and/or otherwise acquire the cloud identifier 266 for the cloud in which it is installed, for instance by querying the cloud management system 104 associated with that cloud, and/or interrogating other entities, platforms, sources, and/or services. In implementations, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can communicate with the cloud management system 104 and/or other entities via secure channels and/or private channels, such as encrypted channels or other connections.

In aspects, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can likewise request or acquire other data directly or internally from the host cloud or cloud(s) in which it is installed or operates, including duration information as part of the set of kernel hosting data 264. The duration information can reflect the length, amount, and/or period of time over which the guest operating system 272, set of applications 240, set of virtual machines 228, and/or other operating systems, machines, and/or other entities have been installed, instantiated, and/or otherwise operating in the set of host clouds 142 using the guest operating system 272. The duration information can be stored by the cloud management system 104 and/or other logic or service associated with the host cloud or clouds in the set of host clouds 142 in which guest operating system 272 is installed and/or operates.

In aspects, the duration information can be associated with and/or used for purposes of metering and billing the end-user of one or more of the set of virtual machines 228 or other users, based on time of operating system use, resource consumption data, and/or other variables. In aspects, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can be configured to access the kernel hosting record 262 and transmit duration information as well as other data in the set of kernel hosting data 264 to an external, third-party, and/or other metering system 270 for receipt and consumption by that system. In aspects, the metering system 270 can be configured to access subscription information for the subject user via subscription databases or other sources, to generate or process billing records or other subscription events or activities, based on the duration of operation of the guest operating system 272, set of virtual machines 228, set of applications 240, and/or other uses or factors. In aspects, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can communicate with an entitlement engine 140 (FIG. 4) configured to record and administer subscription information for the set of host clouds, with that engine for instance installed in the cloud management system 104 and/or other host or location. The cloud awareness engine 260 can also be connected to metering system 270 via a secure channel or connection, if desired. The same or similar duration, subscription, and/or metering information can also be shared or stored to the cloud management system 104 of the corresponding host cloud, and/or to other locations.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary diagram of hardware and other resources that can be incorporated in a cloud management system 104 configured to communicate with the set of instantiated virtual machines 116, cloud awareness engine 260, entitlement engine 140, set of host clouds 142, and/or other entities, services, or resources via one or more networks 106 and/or other connections, according to embodiments. In embodiments as shown, the cloud management system 104 can comprise a processor 130 communicating with memory 132, such as electronic random access memory, operating under control of or in conjunction with an operating system 136. The operating system 136 can be, for example, a distribution of the Linux™ operating system, the Unix™ operating system, or other open-source or proprietary operating system or platform. The processor 130 also communicates with a cloud store 138, such as a database stored on a local hard drive, a management engine 128, an entitlement engine 140, and the cloud awareness engine 260 to execute control logic and control the operation of the set of virtual machines 228 and/or other resources in the set of host clouds 142, and/or other collections of clouds. The processor 130 further communicates with a network interface 134, such as an Ethernet or wireless data connection, which in turn communicates with the one or more networks 106, such as the Internet or other public or private networks. The processor 130 and/or the cloud management system 104 can likewise communicate with other interfaces, applications, machines, sites, services, data, and/or logic. Other configurations of the cloud management system 104, associated network connections, and other hardware, software, and service resources are possible. It may be noted that in embodiments, other hardware machines, platforms, or engines can comprise the same or similar resources as cloud management system 104, or can be configured with different hardware and software resources.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of overall processing to perform various cloud-identification and other operations using kernel-based operating system resources, according to various embodiments of the present teachings. In 502, processing can begin. In 504, the guest operating system 272 can be installed or associated with one or more clouds in the set of host clouds 142, to support the operation of the set of virtual machines 228 operating or to be operated in that cloud or clouds.

In 506, the cloud identifier 266 for the cloud or clouds in which guest operating system 272 is installed or operating can be acquired in the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service hosted in the kernel 270 of the guest operating system 272. In 508, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can identify the guest operating system 272 as being installed or registered in a public cloud and/or a private cloud, as appropriate. In 510, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can access and/or initiate the kernel hosting record 262 in the kernel 270 of the guest operating system 272, including the set of kernel hosting data 264.

In 512, the set of virtual machines 228 scan be installed and/or instantiated in the set of host clouds 142. In 514, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can record, capture, and/or update the set of kernel hosting data 264 related to operation of the guest operating system 272, and/or related information, in the kernel hosting record 262. In aspects, the kernel hosting data 264 can including operations related to the support of the set of virtual machines 228, the set of applications 140, and/or other information or data.

In 516, the cloud awareness engine 260 and/or other logic, application, platform, and/or service can export or transmit the kernel hosting record 262 to a metering system 270, such as an external and/or other metering, billing, or administrative platform or service. In aspects, the kernel hosting record 262 can also or instead be transmitted to other applications or services, including potential third-party, internal, and/or external applications, services, and/or platforms for administrative, billing, or other purposes. In 518, cloud operations in the set of host clouds 142 can continue using the guest operating system 272, with updates to the kernel hosting record 262 accordingly being made, as appropriate. in 520, as understood by persons skilled in the art, processing can repeat, return to a prior processing point, jump to a further processing point, or end.

The foregoing description is illustrative, and variations in configuration and implementation may occur to persons skilled in the art. For example, while embodiments have been described in which the cloud management system 104 for a particular cloud resides in a single server or platform, in embodiments the cloud management system 104 and associated logic can be distributed among multiple servers, services, or systems. Similarly, while embodiments have been described in which one group of servers within a set of resource servers 108 can provide one component to build a requested set of virtual machines, in embodiments, one group of resource servers can deliver multiple components to populate the requested set of instantiated virtual machines 116, and/or other machines, entities, services, or resources. Other resources described as singular or integrated can in embodiments be plural or distributed, and resources described as multiple or distributed can in embodiments be combined. The scope of the invention is accordingly intended to be limited only by the following claims. 

1. A method of detecting cloud conditions in an operating system, comprising: installing a guest operating system in at least one host cloud; acquiring a cloud identifier for the at least one cloud in a kernel of the guest operating system; recording a duration of operation of the guest operating system in the set of host cloud in the kernel of the guest operating system; and storing at least the cloud identifier for the at least one host cloud and the duration of operation in a kernel hosting record in the kernel.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising instantiating a set of virtual machines each hosted by an instance of the guest operating system.
 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing a usage history of the set of virtual machines and the guest operating system.
 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising storing data related to the usage history in the exportable kernel hosting record.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising exporting the kernel hosting record to an external metering system.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the external metering system is configured to generate a subscription billing event based on the kernel hosting record.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring an updated cloud identifier based on a change in the at least one host cloud.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one host cloud comprises a plurality of host clouds.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the kernel hosting record comprises an identification of a public class or a private class for the at least one host cloud.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cloud identifier comprises a unique publicly registered identification code.
 11. A system for detecting cloud conditions in an operating system, comprising: an interface to at least one virtual machine in a set of virtual machines operating in at least one host cloud; and a processor, communicating with the via the interface and being configured to— install a guest operating system in at least one host cloud, acquire a cloud identifier for the at least one cloud in a kernel of the host operating system, record a duration of operation of the guest operating system in the set of host cloud in the kernel of the guest operating system, and store at least the cloud identifier for the at least one host cloud and the duration of operation in a kernel hosting record in the kernel.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to instantiate the set of virtual machines each hosted by an instance of the guest operating system.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to store a usage history of the set of virtual machines and the guest operating system.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to store data related to the usage history in the exportable kernel hosting record.
 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to export the kernel hosting record to an external metering system.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the external metering system is configured to generate a subscription billing event based on the kernel hosting record.
 17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to acquire an updated cloud identifier based on a change in the at least one host cloud.
 18. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one host cloud comprises a plurality of host clouds.
 19. The system of claim 11, wherein the kernel hosting record comprises an identification of a public class or a private class for the at least one host cloud.
 20. The system of claim 11, wherein the cloud identifier comprises a unique publicly registered identification code. 